Squats are one of the key foundational movement patterns. Yet many of us have lost the ability to squat, as we do not squat on a daily basis.
In Eastern cultures and underdeveloped countries, you will still see people sitting in a deep squat or sitting on their heels while eating or doing other activities. Toilets in these countries still require you to squat over them as may are only holes in the ground. This results in many of these cultures to be doing deep squats many times per day as well for long periods of time.
Joints actually like compression. Synovial fluid, the oil that provides nutrient to the cartilage, requires movement and compression to produce the fluid. Squatting squishes the fluid surrounding the knee, hip and ankle joint and helps lubercate and nourish the joints. When doing a deep squat the pelvic bone and tail bone move away from each other, allowing the pelvic floor muscles to have a stretch.
Our failure to squat has biomechanical and physiological implications. From the time we learn to walk we are already implementing the deep squat movement pattern and somewhere along the line we loose this ability. Western cultures have abandoned the deep squat posture and ignore the fact that deep squatting is a form of active rest and is built into both our evolutionary and developmental past.
Squatting should not be painful, nor should you feel unbalanced. If your finding the thought of full deep squat daunting get some strategies on how to properly and safely do this movement. Your Acupuncturist or other health practitioner can help you move with proper form and function.